Yah Habanbaraka
Yah Habanbaraka is a sacred tradition practiced by Cauldarions that is used to settle political disputes between themselves or between themselves and another entity by way of combat. In the duel, representatives from either side would battle one another while verbally debating the issue at hand. Spectators would observe which duelist was able to debate better and more importantly which duelist fought better. It was believed that the duelist who fought the hardest and therefore won believed more strongly in their position and was therefore more in the right. Both sides would then honor the winning party's victory by instigating the political change the duel centered around. Many cultures viewed this as a very barbaric tradition, however the Cauldarions themselves viewed it as a means to avoid large scale wars by having only a pair of combatants fight in a very controlled way and then honoring that victory, as it is believed that whoever could put forward the stronger warrior and would win in the controlled one-on-one duel would win the overall war on a large scale. Rules Yah Habanbaraka duels were highly formalized events. Dishonorable conduct was cause for execution, and not often preformed. A house that preformed dishonorable conduct within a duel and did not pay reparations for it was subject to be politically outset by all other Cauldarion houses, ringing shame among their house. * To refuse or decline a challenge to Yah Habanbaraka is dishonorable, and in doing so you automatically concede to your opponent. * To repeatedly challenge an opponent to a Yah Habanbaraka, to challenge them for an inane or meaningless reason or petty dispute is deemed dishonorable. * One may volunteer to preform the duel in place of the one who was challenged or the place challenger. Typically this is invoked for high ranking Cauldarions who will have a lower ranked knight fight on their behalf to prevent them from being in a state constant recovery due to constant duels, and allows lower ranked knights to rise in the ranks. * Other cultures or alien races may be asked to preform such a duel. However unless at least one party is a recognized Cauldarion house, or the duel is not organized by a house between two outside parties, it is not formally recognized as a Yah Habanbaraka regardless of how strictly the other rules are followed. * The combatants are to fight alone without help or backup. Members of the conflicting parties may spectate. * The battle is to take place in an arena twelve meters in radius, with an even floor of dirt, stone, wood, or metal, with walls high and sturdy enough to safely contain the fighting. The arena should provide ample lighting and not provide an extenuating circumstances which may alter the outcome of the fight. * The combatants are allowed to take with them into combat two weapons. These weapons should be traditionally made wood or metal melee weapons. These weapons cannot be ranged weapons (bows, crossbows, slings, shrunken) firearms (guns or projectile weapons of any sort) or energy blades (hard light or plasma bladed weapons) * Acceptable weapons include knives, swords, axes, maces, clubs, hammers, scythes, shields, bucklers, flails, and whips. Typically weapons of the bladed variety will have their blades blunted such that they cannot inflict deep/mortal wounds. * The use of poisons or intoxicants is banned, either to give a combatant an edge before a battle by driving them into a fury, to poison or weaken the opponent or to lessen one's own pain from injuries. * Attacking the eyes, genitals or ears, or making use of biting is discouraged but a single such attack is not cause for ending a duel. This rule becomes more lenient in prolonged duels and is something of a suggestion depending upon who is overseeing the fight. * Combatants may opt to fight without any weapons. * The combatants may not wear armor or powered armor of any type, and will be allowed no clothing other than a loincloth or tunic. Fighters may opt to fight nude. * If the two combatants are to ignore the verbal component of the duel and simply fight, This is allowable. * If the two combatants are to ignore the physical component of the duel and simply debate, this is also allowable. * If both combatants refuse to debate or physically fight, then new knights will be selected. * If a combatant cries "mercy" or taps out, the opponent is to show mercy and is considered the victor. If the opponent continues to beat the opponent after they have cried mercy they forfeit their victory. If a combatant is killed in the fighting and the strike that killed was intentional, victory goes to the LOSING side. If the strike was accidental, the victory still goes to the winning side. * If a combatant goes unconscious the opponent is considered the victor. * A combatant may honorably concede the victor. * If both combatants agree to it, they may take break from the fighting for a specified period of time. Unless this agreement is reached neither combatant may have food, water, rest, or medical attention. * The duel has no time limit, and continues until the victory conditions are met for one side.